Gas producer



Nov.A 2.5, 1930. A, K. BRADLEY GAS PRODUCER Filed June 7, 1928S'Sheets-Sheet yl rzar 1215/' de Nov. 25, 1930. A. K. BRADLEY 1,782,677

GAS PRODUCER Flled Jung' 7,1928 :s sheets-sheet 2 Nov. 25, 1930. A. K.BRADLEY 1,782,677

GAS PRODUCER Filed June 7, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 riso/Z fadlgy PatentedNov.: 25, `19730 IUMTED n STATES PATENTOPFICE-`j A'ANsoN fK. mmxnL'nY,or WORCESTER, MassAoiirrrsn-T'rs,"AssIGNoit@To MRGANJCON;

\ STRUCTION ooMreNY, orY WORCESTER, massnorrusnr'rsya coRroBA'rI'oNforavir-rs1.;Y

\ QSAGHUSETTS The present invention 4fr elatesto gas profducers, andmore particularly involves an `arrangeinent for controlling closely theinechalnical reino-val of ashesffroin the producer, in` such a manner toadapt the rate and `duradtion of ash removal to :the actual cond1-Vtion, of the fuel bed within the producer.

ef riga. t

The invention is embodied in a, construction which can be inadetosecurethe .rapid discharge ofa large volulneoffashesin a short jeriod oftime as is sometimes re uired under certain conditions of` produceroperation,` or

whichcan beinade .to secure a more orless slowV and continuous dischargeof ashes, if

,Suche inodeof` discharge is hestsuited tothe conditionsprevailing inthe fuel bed y u y Thefeatures of my-improved construction are1 `fullyset forthin the 'following description `and, illustrated intheaccompanying drawings, in whichi 'drivingirneans for theash pain ofthjegas `producer shown in uFi'gzl. A l

,Figg 3 isa sectional view on the line 3 3 Y Figft is a sectional viewon`the line ljfl `of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional viewon 'the line 5-5 lFig.` 6 is fragmentary planview of the ash pan, showing the `ash-renuoving plow. Y Figp isa.large-scalefragmentary view showing in side elevationcer'ta-in devicesasso- Aciated with the ope-ration of the plow.

f Lllig. 8 is a detached View inelevation of adjustment devices for thedifferentialA drivying means of the ash plow.

` H Like reference characters refer to like parts y in vthe differentfiguresL y Referring first to "Figa l, the gas producer thereinillustrated provides therusual fuel- `contaiming vshell 1' whieh,l inthe present Y construction, is-adapted to `be fcontinuously 'rotatedIrelativelyfslow "speed, forex- -amplegcinfe lcoriplete revolution l1in'fi-ve or six v GAS PRODUCER y y fapencationfned June `7,' laas: "serial110,283,562.

` minutes.` To this endsaid shell 1 rotata Y lhly supported on a'seriesof elevated rollers of which onlyoneisshown` ,y `The shell V1 hassecured to its outer wall afsurroundng'ring 4, whose lower surfaceprovides an annular The outer,peripheralsurfaceof ring lsrnade in theform of an annular gear-6, `With which meshes a driving-pinion Z,-liershownf'as secured tothe vupper end of avert-icalcoun-1 a bevel gear 10on a y driving shaft 111,'the lar Vter beingrotatedcontinuously, atanapproforcoversection 313 of the producer, n"which hasthe usualdepending annularLslrirt 14e that projects@ into the waterjacket "15surroiuidi-nj g the:` shell '1,thereb`y `to form al water sfeal betweenthe shell 1 an d thelcoversection V13-, allowing `the former to rotaterelative to fthelatter without escape of as.

Anfash ;pan"l6f disposed' below theiV lower 8.0

'open' end of "shell 1 isA adapted to containa body of walterof'sufficient depth' toforrn a Water: seal with 4an annular dependinguskirt 17 ofsaid shell,` asis usual inrotarywater `seal'fgas producers.Saidash pan 16"is`sup- 'l portedffor rotationv independently of saidshell, as for instance, upon ballf'bearings interposed between anannularhubl'Qlonthe Y bottom of said pan and"`2`r stationary basemeInberEZtlA The ash pan 16 has a central *19in opening therethroughfor"`the`passa`ge of a blast of air and -stearn to the interior of theVproducer, the blast"beingsu`pplied by a suitable "blower 21 andi thefcentral opening y through the `pan being surrounded byanup-Vwardly"projecting flange or hub' QQ-which vsupports a blastdistributing hod23 of ordi'nary construction. Theflange" or hub 22 hasanannula-r lateral extension 24 which fserves hals" al pivotal bearingfor a laterally 2,2, of which only one is shown,.tl`1ese rollers beingcarriedby the stationary columns 3, 3, l i y Atershaft 8. Atits lowerendsaidqshaft i carriesr a hevelgear 9 whichis infmeshswith inoprojecting curved plow arm 25, which latter lies fiat on the bottom ofash pan 16 and is adapted, in the absence of restraint, to partake ofany rotary motion to which said pan 16 is subjected. Near its outer endsaid plow 25 provides a raised lug 26 for cooperation with the end of arocking member 27 which is supported in suitable bearings 28, 28, on thewall of rotary shell 1. From the upper endA of member 27 projects alever arm 29, by which said member 27 can be rocked in its bearings tomove its lower end into and out of the path of the lug 26 on plow 25.

In the position of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the member 27 hasbeen rocked into an operative position, so that its lower end, in therotation of shell 1, will engage the lug 26, to cause rotation of theplow 25 in unison with the rotation of the shell; this operativeposition is yieldingly maintained by the engagement of the free end oflever arm 29 with a hook or latch 30, pivoted at 31 on the outside ofshell 1, as shown in Fig. 7. A counterweight 32 normally holds theho-ol; or latch down, thereby preventing member 27 from turning in itsbearings 28, 28; thus the plow 25 is constrained, under theseconditions, to rot-ate at the same speed as that at which the shellitself rotates, so long as no abnormal or excessive resistance to suchrotation of the plow 25 is encountered. However, in the event of suchexcessive resistance, the torsion communicated to` member 27 by lug 26will exert itself through arm 29, in a direction to raise the pivotedhook or latch 30 and its counterweight 32, until said arm 29 isreleased, allowing said member 27 to swing in its bearings 28, 28, untilits lower end clears the lug 26 on plow 25. The above describedmechanism, for the detachable connection of the ash plow 25 to therotating fuel shell 1, is shown here in substantially the same form asit appears in my prior copending gas producer application `Serial No.138,039, tiled September 27, .1926. and said mechanisnnof and by itselfand apart from its relation to the devices hereA inafter described, isnot the subject matter of the present invention. Said invention resides,vin part, in thecorrelation of the above described mechanism tovariable' speed drive for the ash pan 16, as will now be fullydescribed. Y I 1 As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the constantly rotatingdriving shaft'll has Akeyed thereto an annular differentialdrivingmember 33, which is'interposed on said shaft betweenV a braking member34 and a driven member 35, said two last-named members being mounted forindependent rotation on bushings 36, A36, surrounding said shaft 11. Theopposing faces of members `34and '35 provide annular bevel gears 37 and38V respectively, with each of which mesha plurality of bevel pinions39,

39(l1ere shownas. four infnumber). Each of these bevel pinions 39 ismounted for free rotation on a radial sha-ft 40 carried by suitablebosses 41, 41 of the driving member 33, the rotation of which carriesthe pinions 39, 39 in an annular path in rolling Contact with the gears37 and 38, thereby to impart rotary movement to both of themembers 34and 35, the proportion of such movement which each receives being ininverse ratio to the resistance or drag which is imposed upon eachagainst such rotary movement. Such resistance or drag is made variablyeffective on the member 34 through the medium of a brake drum 42,forming part of said member, and encircled by a brake band 43. One endof said band 43, as shown in Fig. 8, is secured to a fixed point 43',and the other end is fastened to one arm 44 of a lever 44 pivoted at 45.The band 43 is tightened or loosened by movement of the other arm oflever 44, which for this purpose is connected by a screw and nut 46 to abrake-actuating shaft 47, here shown as equipped with a hand wheel 48disposed conveniently above the operating platform 49 of the gasproducer.

The other differentially driven member 35, rotatably mounted on shaft11, has its hub 50 connected to the hub of a bevel pinionv 51, thelatter being in mesh with an annular bevel gear 52 secured in anysuitable way to the under side of ash pan16. In this manner, the ash pan16 takes its speed of rotation from the proportionate amount of rotationimparted to the member 35 by the differential drive,-the ratio ofgearing being preferably such that with member 35 rotating at maximumspeed (brake band 43 holding the member 34 stationary), the ash pan 16will rotate at twice the speed of the fuel shell 1. As the brake band 43is loosened, to gradually decrease the retardation of member 34, theproportion of the rotative movement imparted by the differentialmechanism to the ash pan 16 is gradually reduced,-and thus bymanipulation of the devices which control the setting of said brake band43, any speed of said ash pan 16, below the aforesaid maximum speed, isobtainable.

However, to prevent too low a speed of ash pan rotation, means areprovided to insure .115

the rotation of member 35 at a speed not less than the speed of drivingmember 33. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the radial spokes 53 of member 33provide projections 54, 54, which are adapted to engage with pawls 55projecting inwardly from the member 35. Each pawl 55 is pivoted to swingon an axis 56 provided by the member 35,' and is held in position to beengaged by the projections 54, 54, through the medium of a spring 57.Regardless of how loose the brake band 43 may be, the rotation of member33 always operatively carries the projections 54, 54, against the pawls55, 55, to rotate the member 35 at aI minimum speed corresponding to theizo ` speed of member 33, and the ratio of gearing is such that thisminimum speed produces -rotationof the ash pan 16 at a speed equal to ori `slightly greater than the speed ofthe fuel shell l. The projections54, 54, andthe pawls 55, 55,do not interfere with a greater speed of themember 35, such asis produced when the brake band 43 is tightened.because under these conditions, the member 35 can run ahead ofv themember 33, Iand when a pawl 55 over takes one of the projections 54, theadvancing bevel edge`58 of said pawl strikes a bevel surface 59 on theprojection, thereby depressthan the fuel shell 1, the consequentcleavage.` or shearing action occurring inthe` mass of fuel and ash willcause the ashes, if'accumulated high on the inner wall of theproducer,

- to descend into-the pan,'-an`d such descent will occur, without regardtothe operating `condition ofthe plow 25. If the latter, under thesecircumstances, is engagedv by thel ment ber 27, the consequentpronouncedfrelative `'movement between pan 16 and plow 25: will push theashesrapidly outward, and upthe-` inclined end 60 -of said plow,forrelatively rapid removal by a stationary skimmer 61, vprojecting overthe rim of the pan. And the rate of such ash removal, as well as therate of i the ash descent within the producer, will be increased Vor,decreased, as the speed of pan 16, through adjustment ofthe brake 43, is

increased or diminished. i Y

\ On the other hand, if the latch 30 is rocked up` into aninoperativeposition, the member 27 is no Alonger effective to hold theplow 25 toV the slow `rotation of the shell .1.v Under thesecircumstances, the outward crowding of ashes will proceed v'at a muchslower rate, under the influence only of the gradual descent of ashesinto the pam-and the rate of ash removal will be relatively slow. i

I claim; l j A j Y 1. In a gasproducer, a rotary fuel shell and a rotaryash pan, a common actuating means for said parts, gearing connectingsaid actuating means to said shell, for rotation of the latter at aconstant speed, differential gearing connecting said actuating means tosaid pan, means for braking oneof the members of said gearing, to varythe speed of the pan-driving member of said gearing, thereby to procurerotation of. said pan at varying speeds, higher than the speed of saidshell,

Van ash plow rotatably mounted in said pan,

and means operable selectively to connect said ash plow to, or todisconnect it from, said shell.

` 2.In a gas producer, a rotary fuel shell.

position, `due to the actionfof and a rotary ash pan, a common actuatingmeans for said parts, gearing `connecting said actuating means to saidshell, for rotation of the latter at `a constant speed, differentialgearing connecting said actuating means to said pan, means for brakingone of the members of said gearing, to vary the speed of the pan-drivingmember of said gearing, thereby to procureV rotation of said pan atvarying Y speeds, means for insuring the rotation ofV said `pan vbysaidactuating means, irrespective of the adjustment of said differentialdrive, at a minimum speed', not less than the speed of said shell, anash-plow rotatably mounted inV said pan, and means `operablevselectively to connect said ash plow to, or to i disconnect it from,said shell.

3. In a gas producer, a rotary fuel shell 1 and a rotary ash pan, acommon actuating VIneanslfor said'parts, gearing connecting saidactuating means to said shell, for rotation of the `latter at a constantspeed, differential gearing connecting said actuating means to saidpan,means forbraking one of the mem-Y bers of said gearing, to vary thespeed of the,V

pan-driving member of said gearing, thereby to procure rotation. of saidpan at varying j speeds, whereby to producemore or less shearing in thebed of "fuel with a lcorre-,i sponding descent of ashesinto said pam'an'ash plow rotatably mounted in said pan, and

adaptedby the pressure thereon of the fuel,

to rotate in unison with said pan, thereby" to produce only suchremovalV of ashes as is caused bythe aforesaid descentof ashes, and

means for connecting said ash pan to -said shell, for rotation inunisontherewith, whereji by the'rate of ashremoval is increased. f

Dated this first day of June, 1928.

, ANSON K. BRADLEY.

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